9:36am Thursday 26th August 2010
By James Maden
A PARK in Southampton city centre has been cordoned off today as police launched a rape investigation.
Yesterday, an 18-year-old woman complained to police she had been sexually assaulted in Watts Park.
Detectives at Shirley police station were today questioning her about the allegation.
This morning three police officers were this morning standing guard in Watts Park, Southampton, around separate cordons spanning half the width of the open space.
There were confused faces as city residents made their way to work past the cordon.
A huge area has been cordoned off from where the park meets Above bar Street to its junction with Grovenor Square.
Jacqui Schofield, who works for the city council in the city centre, said: "I'm a bit worried because we have to walk through the park from work and it's getting darker in the evenings now. It's a bit of a worry.
"I know there have been attacks in the park before because we have had e-mails at work asking us to be careful when walking through."
Police say a 19-year-old is being questioned about the allegation.
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